Temptation
by SoapQueen89
Summary: Can Zander and Emily find their way back to each other after the divorce? She pregnant with his child, she wanting to win him back, he wanting to move on with his life without her. Is there someone from his past who will stand in Emily's way of getting
1. Default Chapter

His hand quivered as he got a better grip on the pen he was holding and stared down at the mumble jumble the attorney's called a divorce decree. He couldn't believe it had come down to this. He was furious with her for breaking his heart, for lying to him all these months, for settling for him because she couldn't have the one she really wanted, and yet even after his signature is on the papers, he still loves her. She sat next to him with her hands crossed her lap, just waiting for that moment he signed her release papers. This to her was way to freedom, freedom from a marriage neither of them wanted to be in, freedom from all her obligations to him and the life she had with him as his wife, freedom from the man she once want to spend her life with, and yet even after he signed the paperwork, she still loved him in some way, though not the way he wanted her to. She felt the tears well up in her eyes as he signed the dotted line and made it official. They both knew the marriage was over long before this, but signing the papers made it final.

Her saddened eyes looked over the wire brim of her glasses as she took the signed papers and placed them back in the manilla folder in front of her. "I'll file this tomorrow, the divorce will be final in a few weeks." Alexis stated as she looked at the lost look in both sets of eyes that looked back at her. She sniffled back the tears and grabbed her belongings in her hands as she stood up from the burgandy leather chair. "Thanks Alexis." she replied as she turned and walked out the door of Alexis' office. Not saying a word to her soon to be ex husband, the door slammed and he jumped in his chair. Alexis saw how this hurt him even more. "I'm so sorry this happened to you two." she said trying to give him some consolation. "Yeah well, things like this just happen, Alexis. It's no one's fault and now I have to try to live my life without her." he replied as he stood from his chair and put on his jacket. "Thank you for helping us with this. You've been a great help." He hugged her lovingly and she broke a tiny smile. "You're very welcome. If you need anything, your father and I are here to help." He smiled in return and then turned towards the door. "Hey, why don't you have dinner with us sometime this week. I know your dad would love to see you." Alexis asked before he left. "Yeah, sure. Anytime." Were his last words before the door closed.

Alexis left out a heavy sigh and removed her glasses. She laid them down on the desk and took her hands and rubbed her face hoping that he wouldn't do anything drastic now that the papers were signed. She thought they would work through this rough patch in their marriage, but she was wrong. A marriage only last 6 months, and it took a toll on both of them. She was sure that they would soon find their way back to each other, they always did.

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She left Alexis's office and found herself walking aimlessly on the docks. She sat down on the bench for a few moments to gather her thoughts before heading home. She had tried her best to keep the facade going as long as they were married, but the emotions just became to overwhelming to resist. She began to sob as she sat alone on the bench. The cold winter air brushed her face as she could feel the tears she cried seemed to form icicles against her skin. She took her hand and wiped away the moisture with her mitten. "Now stop that!" she said to herself as she tried to pull herself together. "It's over, there's nothing you can do about it now. He will never trust you, at least not in this lifetime. Pull yourself together, you need to stay strong, don't let them see you cry." She wiped her tears and stood up from the bench. She adjusted her coat and grabbed her things in her hand. Sniffling back the tears and trying her best to stay strong, she began to walk down the docks towards home. She protected her bulge underneath her coat and thought about what it would be like to be a family, to watch him rock their child to sleep, to feed their child in the middle of the night. The tears began to fall once more as she turned the corner on to 4th Street. She guessed she'd never know what that would be like. "It's just you and me kid." she said to herself as she caressed her belly.

He had left have the loft that overlooked the bay and he moved into the cottage that he rented from Ned. It was something they had both agreed on and she was thankful for it. The loft was in town and close to the hospital, he knew she wouldn't have the access to that while living by herself at the cottage. He thought of her needs right up until the end. She smiled at the thought of them being a family as she unlocked the door to the loft and stepped inside. She dropped her bag and her coat on the chair by the door and went to the kitchen for a drink. "You hungry?" she asked as she rubbed her belly once more. It became a habit after a while, especially now since she was showing so much. She was in her 5th month, it didn't take long after they were married till she got pregnant, and it was something they both wanted. She peered into the refrigerator and took out the orange juice. "Well, not much here to eat, how bout we call Grandma? See what they're having for dinner." She poured herself a glass of orange juice and picked up the cordless phone laying on the kitchen table. She dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up. "Quartermaine residence." the voice answered. "Reginald? Is my mother at home?" she asked as she rubbed her belly once more, missing him with every stroke. "Mom? It's me. What's for dinner?" she giggled as she heard her mom giggling with her. "Your father and I are going to the PC Grille, wanna come with us?" her mom suggested as she got a huge smile on her face just thinking of the PC Grille's cheesecake. "Sure! I'll see you there shortly." She quickly hung up the phone and went for a shower. 

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He unlocked the door to the cottage and stepped inside. It felt so empty. They spent quiet weekends here a few times over the past 6 months and now all it was was a bunch of memories. He hung his head as he stepped down into the living room, the door closed behind him. He collapsed on the sofa and placed his hands behind his head for support. "Okay, now what?" he asked himself hoping to know the answer. As he lay there contemplating what to do with his life, the phone rang. He reached for the phone that lay on the coffee table and answered it. "Hello." he answered. "What are you doing for dinner?" the voice asked. "Nothing that I know of, why?" "Meet Alexis and I at the PC Grille in about 30 minutes." He couldn't turn down a free dinner with his dad. He and his father had found some kind of understanding, and were working on reconnecting. He hung up the phone and jumped up off the sofa. He headed upstairs for a quick shower before he went to meet them at the Grille.

All he could think about was his child. He was hoping that they could work out something so he could be a part of his life. He didn't have worries about her allowing him to see the child, it was her family that he worried about. The family had caused such a mess with Alexis and her child, he didn't want to go through the same thing with his. As he drove into town, he wondered just how he was to go on without her. He turned up the radio to drown out his thoughts and turned the corner to head towards the restaurant. He parked about a block from the Grille and got out. He began walking towards the front door of the hotel when he noticed his dad's SUV pull up out front. The valet asked for the keys as Cameron got out and went to open the door for Alexis. She stepped out looking beautiful as always. She saw him standing on the sidewalk by the door and rushed to him. She gave him a loving kiss on the cheek and embraced him. "You doing okay?" she asked with concern. "Yeah, I'm doing okay all considering." he said as he hung his head and glared at his shoes. Cameron came upon them and extended his hand to him. He shook hands with his father as he pulled him into a fatherly hug. "It's good to see you. I'm sorry about all this ...." he began as they walked into the hotel. "Yeah me too." he replied as his dad pulled him closer to him by wrapping his arm around him as any father would trying to console him.

The hostess walked them to their table, they all took their seats and she handed them a menu. "I'll be back in a few minutes." she stated and she walked away from them. He placed the menu on his place setting and removed his jacket. His ears perked as he heard a familiar giggle coming from behind him. He turned around and noticed her beautiful smile from across the room. A smile came across his face, both Cameron and Alexis noticed and looked in the direction of his stare.

She sat with her parents and her brother for a nice evening of conversation and dinner. She could sense someone staring in her direction as she looked up and saw him from across the room. Her smile had caught his eye, he smiled in return. All she felt was an urge to run into his arms, but she resisted. He stood still and then turned to sit down in his seat without saying a word. The look on his face was enough, words weren't needed to tell those he was with just how he felt at that moment.

"So, what's everyone having for dinner? I'm starved."


	2. Chapter 2

The waitress had come to the table and took their order as Cameron noticed his son seemed distant. "Alexander?" his father's voice saying his name brought him back from his deep thoughts. "I won't even try to understand what you're going through right now because everyone is different, but believe me when I tell you that I've been in your shoes before. I know it hurts and it's going to take time to heal, but you will." Zander looked up from his plate and looked in his father's eyes, he knew from what he saw he spoke the truth. He acknowledged his father's words by nodding his head. Cameron hated to see his son in so much pain, he knew he could get through this, he was strong and he had survived so much already. Alexis took Zander's hand in hers tenderly as a mother would. "We're here for you, sweetie. You know that, right?" Zander looked at her with a somber look. "Yeah I do. I'm so glad I have you two in my life. I just wish it all would disappear and Emily would realize just what she's done to make this all happen." Alexis squeezed Zander's hand as Cameron took the last sip of his Rum and soda. "What are your plans now? You're obviously not going to work at ELQ, that would be so awkward for you, Alexander." his father asked concerned about how his son would earn a living now without her. Zander just shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's not like there are companies banging down my door to hire an ex-drug dealer slash kidnapper." he joked sarcastically. Alexis and Cameron glanced at each other knowing that Zander was right, he needed to find something he was good at besides breaking the law. Even though it had been many years since he found himself in trouble with the law, it still haunted him.

Emily sat across the room with her parents enjoying their dinner, a rarity with them. It usually became one huge argument with many of the other members leaving the table before the dessert cart came around. She took a sip of her sparkling cider, something she had grown a taste for at Stanford. Monica noticed her daughter was distracted by something else besides the food in front her. Emily stared at Zander who sat only a few tables from where she was sitting, hoping he'd turn around to see her smiling at him. But he didn't. He seemed quite content sitting with his father and Alexis amidst a heavy conversation. "Why don't you go over there and talk to him?" Alan suggested as Emily's eyes widened as she looked at her father who sat across from her. "Dad, we signed the divorce papers this afternoon, I'm the last person he wants to see right now, trust me." she answered wishing what she said wasn't true but it probably was. She had caused him enough pain, she didn't want to add to it by going over and saying hello.

Zander sat with his back to his soon to be ex wife, and all he could think about was turning around and seeing her beautiful face smiling back at him. He knew that was too good to be true, she wouldn't want him to see her looking at him, they just signed the papers this afternoon, that would be the last thing on her mind. She was free now to enjoy her life with whomever she wanted to, it's what she wanted, so he left go, he loved her too much to see her miserable in a marriage she didn't want to be in.

Emily picked at her dinner, while her parents tried to persuade her to eat, she was eating for two now. "Emily, you need to eat something." her mom said with concern. "Mom, I'm not 10 anymore." she snapped back. Monica was taken back by her answer and was a little offended by her remark. "Em, honey, you're eating for two and you barely touched your dinner." Alan tried to guilt her into eating at least some of her dinner. She was too distracted to eat. His coal black hair, straight cut across the back of his neck, his strong neck that she use to kiss tenderly, his strong shoulders that she used to massage for him after a long day at the office. The squeaky wheel of the dessert cart brought her back to reality as it stopped at their table. The chocolate cheesecake was just too much to resist. She pointed the piece she wanted and the waiter served her the biggest slice on the cart, at her request. Her eyes grew bigger as he placed it in front her and she asked for some whip cream for the top. Monica and Alan both surprised by her sudden appetite. "What? He wants chocolate, okay?" she said as she rubbed the bulge underneath her linen napkin. Her parents chuckled at her comment and figured it's probably the most she'd had all day to eat.

Zander couldn't resist any longer. He twisted his body in his chair just enough so he could look over his shoulder towards her table. He noticed her caressing her belly as she enjoyed her dessert. He smiled as he knew she couldn't resist the PC Grille's chocolate cheesecake, it was her favorite.

Alexis excused herself from the table to go make a phone call to check on the baby. Cameron leaned in closer to the middle of the table trying not to announce to everyone what he was about to say. "Alexander, I had an idea about a job for you and I didn't want to say anything in front of Alexis till I spoke to you about it. You do know there is an inheritance waiting for you whenever you want it. If you ever want to finish your schooling, you're more then welcome to use the money for tuition." Cameron suggested and hoping that his son would take the opportunity to further his education. "I'll think about it. Thanks for the offer, but right now I have to think about myself and how I am going to get passed all that has happened. I have to work on myself first before thinking about the future." he replied as he looked over his shoulder at Emily who held her hand against her belly as to protect the precious life she carried inside.

Alexis came back to the table and paused. "Did I interrupt something?" she said as it looked like it was a conversation just between father and son. "No. Nothing really. Just trying to convince Alexander that he and I need to spend more time together now that I have a light work load at the hospital." Zander smiled and took the last sip of his drink. "Well, it was so nice of you guys to invite me for dinner and I thank you, but I should go. I have lots to think about and I should do that alone." Zander stood up from his chair and put on his jacket. "It was our pleasure, Zander." Alexis said as Zander caressed her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He nodded to his father and said his goodbyes.

Emily saw him walk out the door and her parents watched him go too. She wanted so much to chase after him and tell him that she was sorry for all she's done, but he had heard it all before, he wasn't ready to listen to her apologies again. She resisted the impulse to run after him, she caressed the life she carried inside of her and thought only good things were to come for her and her baby ... a life without the man she loved.


	3. Chapter 3

The minutes ticked by as he paced the hardwood floor of the master bedroom, his insomnia was back and all he could do was think of her. He couldn't believe the divorce papers came through so quickly. Alexis had said a few weeks, he had thought it would be longer then 5 weeks for some reason. Perhaps in his own mind he was hoping Alexis had forgotten about them for a while just to give him time to get used to all this. He stood in front of the elongated window looking out towards the bright city lights, wondering if she was thinking of him tonight. He turned and walked back towards the queen size 4 poster bed, a bed he shared with her that now was cold and empty. He crawled into bed and underneath the hefty comforter that lay on top. His head hit the pillow, he put his arms underneath his head for support and glared up at the ceiling. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping that at least if his eyes were closed he was half way to a good night's sleep.

She pounded her pillow with her fist trying to make an indent for her to lay her head comfortably. She was losing the battle as she tossed and turned for a while before she got up and sat on the edge of the bed. She slipped on her fuzzy pink slippers and padded to the kitchen for a drink of water. She rubbed her eyes as she turned on the light so she could see her way around. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the brightness of the light as she steadied herself against the kitchen chair. She caressed her belly as she heard it grumble with hungry. "How can you possibly be hungry, little one? I had dinner." It grumbled a little louder as she peered into the refrigerator to see what she could find for a late night snack. "Hmmm.... how bout some left over chicken?" It rumbled again as if to answer her. "Okay, no chicken." she giggled as she rubbed herself once more. She reached in for the orange juice and set it on the counter. "Let's try some of this, if this don't settle you down, I don't know what else there is I can feed you." she said to the precious life she carried inside her. She poured herself a large glass of orange juice and put it back in the frig. She took a drink from the glass and noticed a box she had left on the floor near the door that was filled with things she had brought from the cottage. She walked slowly towards the box and bent down to see what was all inside.

She reached in and took out a very large book that laid on top of some other things. She bit her bottom lip and caressed her belly. She walked towards the couch and sat down. She moved towards the arm of the couch with her back against it for support. She reached for the afghan and covered herself with it while she sat and paged through the book she held in her hands. She opened the front cover and gently touched with her finger the pictures that were revealed to her. The first page brought back the memories of the most precious day of her life ... her wedding day. A picture of her and Zander, she in a white spaghetti strapped full length gown with sequins on the bodice, flowing white train and she carried a mixture of white and red roses. Zander looking so sharp in his black tuxedo with tails, black bow tie, she couldn't help but smile as the tears welled in her eyes. They were so happy then, she was so sorry that it all just faded away. "I am so sorry little one. I hope one day you will have happiness too. The kind of happiness I had with your daddy." She sniffled back the tears as she flipped through the rest of the book, seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, they all seemed so happy, she wished she could smile like that again. She knew the only way she could do that is if Zander would one day forgive her for all she's done, but she also knew that wasn't possible right now, she needed to give him the space he needed.

She closed the book and took the last sip of orange juice that was in the glass. She laid the book on the coffee table and took the glass to the kitchen and put it in the sink. She felt her belly and didn't hear any more rumbling. "Guess that hit the spot, huh?" She giggled as she walked towards the bed hoping she could go back to sleep before the sun came up. She crawled back into bed after removing her slippers and pulled the covers up over her as her head seeped into the pillow. "Oooh!" she grimaced as she felt the child inside her kick. "Well that's a first, your clock is backwards, little one. It's time for sleep, not play." she laughed as she rubbed her belly where she felt the kick. "Your daddy should be here to feel you kick me, it's something I'm sure he'd enjoy. Daddy's like that kind of stuff." She wiped a stray tear from her cheek as she turned onto her side and tried to get comfortable. She's a little over 6 months along, and sleeping has become a chore for her these days. She was surprised by the movement, her little one was usually active during daylight hours and very rarely at night. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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The morning sun filtered through the curtains on the elongated windows of the loft as the baby's movement woke her. "Ah, morning little one." she said as she turned to lay on her back. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched to try to removed the kinks out of her back. She was in her 2nd trimester and the back pain became apparent. She slipped from the bed and padded towards the bathroom. She removed her nightgown and slipped on an old tee shirt that hung on the back of the door along with a pair of sweat pants. As she came out of the bathroom she noticed her figure as she walked past the full length mirror she had hung on the wall. She stopped in front of the mirror and lifted her shirt to show her 6 month belly. She caressed herself as she felt it's hardness with her fingertips. As she did so she saw the small dents the baby inside her made as he kicked just letting her know he was awake and ready for breakfast. "I am so fat. Just look at me, I am as big as a house! Daddy would for sure tell me I am beautiful, but ...." her words drifted off as her mind thought of him as she stood sideways and glared at what she had become over the last 6 months of pregnancy. Just then she heard the phone ring. She dropped her tee shirt and hurried to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" she said as she answered the phone on the second ring. "Are you up for some breakfast?" the voice asked. "Hi Elizabeth. Yeah I am, but I have to get dressed first." she answered. "Meet me at Kelly's, say about 20 minutes?" her friend suggested. "Sure, I'll see you in about 20 minutes." she repeated to confirm the time. Emily hung up the phone and went to her closet to find something to wear. She peered out the window to see what kind of day it was in Port Charles. "Hmmm ...looks like a sweater type day out there, I guess I'll wear this!" she said as she grabbed a baby blue sweater from the closet.

He tossed and turned as the morning sun shone through the bedroom window as if to say good morning to him. He groggly opened his one eye and looked at the clock that sat on the night stand next to the bed. "Well, another day to think about what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life." he said to himself as he tried to wake himself up. He sat up and set his barefeet on the cold hardwood floor. He stood up and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face to revive him. He slicked back his hair and slipped on the sweatpants that hung on the back of the bathroom door. He made his way down the stairs and into the living room and as he passed the front door he heard a knock. "Doesn't anyone sleep around here?" he said as he reached for the door knob.

"Morning Alexander." his dad said sounding so chipper. "Morning." Zander answered with a yawn. "Here." Cameron said as he handed him a brown paper sack. Zander opened up the bag and smelled the fresh coffee coming from inside. "Mmmm....coffee! How did you know?" he chuckled as he showed his father to the sofa. Cameron cracked a smile and took a seat while Zander emptied the paper bag on the coffee table. "Oooh, muffins! Let me guess, Kelly's?" Zander noticed the paper they were wrapped in was from his favorite eatery. "I figured you probably didn't have anything to eat around here, so I brought it to you. That and I knew if you didn't have it, I wouldn't get any of it." he joked as he took the other cup of coffee that his son removed from the bag. "Well, you just didn't come here to bring me breakfast at the crack of dawn, so what's up?"

Cameron took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "I need your help." Zander gave a look of concern to his father as he took a seat next to him on the couch. "What do you need me for?" Zander thinking it could be anything, but he wasn't prepared for what is father was about to ask help with.

"I think I'm falling in love with Alexis."


	4. Chapter 4

The hot fluid that was in Zander's mouth was now all over his shirt. "That's funny, I thought I heard you say that you were falling in love with Alexis." he questioned as he couldn't believe what he heard his father say. "Alexander, I'm serious." Cameron replied in a low monotone voice. "I don't know what to do. I haven't felt this way about anyone since your mother, and to be honest, it's scaring the hell out of me." Cameron continued as he noticed Zander giving him a raised eyebrow. "Dad, listen as much as I would love to have Alexis as my step mom, she's one that's not big on commitment. Did she ever tell you about her last adventure with commitment?" his son chuckled trying to be serious. "Yeah the semi story, yeah I heard about it." Cameron replied as he stood from his chair and began to pace. Zander watched as his dad paced and told him all about his interactions with Alexis and how over time he's truly become quite fond of her and Kristina. A smile came to Zander's face as he listened, he hadn't heard his father talk like this about a woman, since his mother. "Sounds to me like you're in pretty deep here, Dad." he replied as he tried to hide the smile underneath his hand that covered his mouth. Cameron stopped pacing .. "Yeah I know, it's ludicrice. I'm a doctor, and well Alexis, is .... Alexis. It just doesn't seem feasible that I would fall for someone like her, but .. I am! Alex, you have to help me!" Zander saw that his father was in serious need of help, he was still trying to process what his father had told him, but he was willing to help his dad anyway he could. "Alright, alright. I'll help you. What do you need me to do?" Cameron sighed relieved that his son was willing to help him with his problem, though he really wasn't a problem. It was more of like a situation, a situation he never thought he'd be in again after his first wife, Catherine. 

"I would venture a guess that you have yet to tell her any of this, right?" Zander asked as he thought of some things that could help with his dad getting the woman he wanted. Cameron raised a brow .. "Are you kidding? She'd have me put away for telling her something like this, Alex." Zander chuckled at the thought. "Okay, what you have to do is do things subtle, don't push, cause Alexis will bolt and you don't want that. You have to ease into this with her, let her fall in love with you." Cameron sat and listened, he nodded in acknowledgement of what his son was proposing. "Okay, got it." Cameron said as he was making a mental note of the important points in the conversation. Zander continued to advise his dad on some other good points to help his dad but got interrupted by the telephone ringing.

"Hello?" Zander said as he picked up the cordless phone that laid on the coffee table. He looked at his dad who sat on the chair sipping his coffee as he talked with the person on the other end. "Yes, Alexis, what can I do for you?" he asked as the mention of her name perked his father's interest. "I never really thought about working for you, but sure how can I help?" Zander became intrigued with Alexis's offer. "Sure, I'll be here. See you soon." Zander hung up the phone and stared at his dad with a gleem in his eye. Cameron stood from the chair and reached for his jacket. "Wait, where are you going?" Zander asked as he stopped his father from leaving. "I don't want to be here when Alexis comes to visit. Besides you guys got business things to discuss, and I don't want to be in the way." Cameron replied trying to convince his son that this visit with Alexis was none of his business. "You don't want to be here when Alexis comes, cause you're afraid you'll make a fool of yourself." Zander smiled knowing his father too well. Cameron sighed, he knew his son was right. "Yeah that would be the reason." he chuckled as he went to the front door. "Okay, well thanks for the breakfast and I'll be sure to tell Alexis you said hello." Cameron raised an eye brow to his son as Zander held the door open for him. "I'll talk to you later." Cameron replied trying to avoid the topic of Alexis.

Zander laughed as he closed the door and began cleaning up the breakfast mess they had made. "Alexis? My mom?" he said to himself as he shook his head in disbelief. He took the trash to the kitchen and threw it in the garbage can and finished his cup of coffee before going upstairs to change his clothes.

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Emily opened the door of Kelly's and stepped inside out of the cool morning air. She noticed Elizabeth sitting at the corner table reading a menu waiting for her. She hung her coat on the coat rack by the door and went to sit down with her friend. "Hey, what's up?" Emily said as she sat down at the table. Elizabeth laid down the menu and sighed. "I need someone to talk to and I was hoping you could lend me an ear." she said just as Penny approached. "Can I get you girls anything?" Emily caressed her belly trying to get a vibe from the baby as to what she wanted to eat. "Can I just have orange juice for now, thanks." Emily replied as she handed back the menu. "Same for me, thanks." Elizabeth wasn't feeling all that hungry this morning, she was actually feeling a little nauseous. Emily could see on her friend's face that she didn't look well. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale." Elizabeth felt her face with her hand trying to put some color back in her cheeks. "Well, I'm late." Emily surely knew what she meant by saying she was late. She has been in her position before and now what she saw was making sense. "You think your pregnant?" Emily whispered trying to be discrete. Elizabeth sunk back into the chair. "Yeah, I think I am." A huge smile came across Emily's face. "Elizabeth! I'm so happy for you!" Emily ecstatic with the possibility her friend was going to have a baby. Elizabeth didn't share the same enthusiasm. "You're not happy about this?" Emily asked as Penny brought the two girls glasses of orange juice they ordered. "I could be, if I wasn't so scared. Em I don't know what to do if I am. Ric and I aren't at all ready for this, though I'm sure he'd be thrilled with this news." and took a sip of her juice. "You know he wouldn't leave you, right? He loves you Elizabeth, and I know you love him. A baby could bring you guys closer together, if you let it." Emily tried to read her friend who sat across from her with a worried look on her face. "I know, I guess I'm just being silly. My first pregnancy was not planned, and neither was this one, but ...." "But nothing. Elizabeth, this is great news. You should be happy, you deserve to be happy." Emily interrupted. "You're right. It's time for Ric and I to be happy, and this baby will do that for us." Emily smiled as she caressed her 6 month belly.

"So, how are you doing? I heard about the divorce. I'm so sorry, Em." Elizabeth said trying to change the subject. "I'm ... we're fine. Zander's staying at the cottage and I'm living here in town. I think we're going to be okay." Emily replied as she noticed Elizabeth's focus was no longer their conversation but on the door behind her. Emily turned around to see Ric standing in the doorway of Kelly's. He approached slowly. "Hi. I didn't know you'd be here this morning." he said to Elizabeth as he stood at the table. He said hello to Emily as she excused herself from the table. "Here, you can take my seat. I think you guys need to talk about some things." she said as she got up from the chair and went for her jacket. "Thanks Em....I'll talk with you later?" Ric sat down at the table and waited to hear from his wife about why they needed to talk.

Emily stepped out into the cool morning air and breathed in deeply. "Well, little one ... what do we want to do today?" she said to the life inside of her. She felt the baby kick as she rubbed the area with her hand. She sat down at one of the tables on the patio and took out her cell phone. A little twinge made her wince, it wasn't painful but it was sharp and it was a little discerning. She dialed her mom's number at the hospital, the twinge wasn't nothing, she felt something was wrong. "Mom? It's me. I'm at Kelly's and I think something's wrong." Emily said with concern. "Yeah, with the baby. I'll be there in a few minutes." Emily flipped her phone closed and gathered her things. She stood up to walk away, but the sharp pain she felt made her buckle over. She grimaced with pain but she didn't yell out that she might be in trouble. She began to walk towards the hospital hoping that maybe the walk would rid her of the painful twinges. She had never felt these before, and the closer she got to the hospital, the more concerned and worried she got about the baby.

She reached the automatic doors of the emergency room and her mother was there waiting for her. Emily fell into her arms as she stepped through the doors. "Emily!" her mother caught her in her arms and called for some help from Bobbie who stood behind the nurse's desk. "Let's get her to exam #1." Monica worried about her daughter and the baby she was carrying as they laid her on the guerney. Emily began to cry from the pain she was feeling, as her mom dialed the phone to call Dr. Meadows down to help. Monica rushed back to her daughter as Bobbie started taking Emily's vitals. "Her blood pressure is a little high, but she's not running a fever. Her pulse is a little racey." Bobbie set up the fetal monitor and wrapped it around Emily. Emily let out a painful scream and as Monica stood there with her, she could feel her pain. "It's okay, sweetie. It's gonna be okay." Alan rushed into the cubical frantic about his daughter's condition. He could hear Emily's screaming from down the hall. His daughter reached for his hand, and he went to her quickly. Emily's breathing became erratic as the pain became stronger. "Dad, I need .. you....to ... call Zander!" Alan nodded he would call him. "I'll call him right away sweetheart." He rushed from the room to the nurse's station and dialed the phone.

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Zander came down the stairs just as there was a knock on the door. He reached for the door and opened it to find Alexis standing on the other side. "Hi." She said as he invited her in. Just then the phone rang and Zander went to answer it. Alexis knew something was wrong by the worried look in his eyes.

"Zander. It's Alan. You have to get to emergency room, right away." Zander became frantic as he listened. "Is it the baby?" Alan didn't answer him right away. "Alan, is it the baby?!" 


	5. Chapter 5

Zander raced into the emergency room and Alexis followed close behind. She quickly dialed Cameron's number on her cell phone but she flipped it closed when she saw him step off the elevator. She rushed to him as Zander rushed to be with the mother of his child. "How is she? and the baby?" he asked wanting to know the condition of his wife and child. She may be his ex wife, but he still loved her like a wife. Emily's face distorted with pain grabbed onto Zander's hand as he stood by her side. She groaned in pain as Alan told Zander about her condition. "We think it's a case of false labor. We're trying to stop the contractions now, and hopefully the medication will work soon." Zander felt his wife squeeze his hand as she felt a contraction coming on. Emily screamed in pain once more as the pressure she was feeling didn't seem to be going away. Dr. Meadows could see on the monitor that the contractions seemed to be slowing down and had become further and further apart, which was a good sign that they would stop soon.

Zander brushed back Emily's auburn hair from her face, and tried to convince her it would be alright. "I'm glad you're here, Zander." Emily said as she looked up at him, the worry seemed to have gone from her eyes now that he was there with her. "Where else would I be? I love you Em and you and the baby mean everything to me." he said as he leaned down and kissed her lightly on her lips. "I love you too." she replied as another contraction began. She winced as the pain came and went quickly. "The contractions seem to be slowing down now Emily, they should be diminishing in strength." Dr. Meadows said as she read the read off from the monitor. "Yeah ..they're not as bad as they were." Emily left out a heavy breath as she laid back against the pillow and relaxed her body. There was now an audience standing just outside the curtain. Monica emerged to check on her daughter's condition as Dr. Meadows checked the baby's position by putting pressure on Emily's belly with her hands. "She seems to be doing okay now." she said to Monica as she left the cubical.

"Oh thank God." Monica replied as she approached her daughter's bedside and took a hold of her hand. "You need rest and you'll get it here in the hospital tonight." Emily agreed, there was no arguing cause she knew her mom was right. Zander heard his father's voice and wanted to let them know Emily was alright now, the scare was over. He left Emily with her mother and went outside to talk with his family. 

Zander emerged from the cubical and was rushed by his father and Alexis. "How is she?" Alexis asked as Zander still looked worried. "She's fine, the baby's fine. It just was a case of false labor pains." He explained that Emily would be staying in the hospital over night and that he would be staying with her. "Okay, you do what you have to do Alex. We'll be fine." Cameron replied as he stood as close to Alexis as he possibly could without touching her. Alexis looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, we'll be fine." she remarked a little confused by the comment. Zander left his father and Alexis in the hallway to return to Emily's side.

"We're gonna have her here for a while till we get her room ready, just be sure she remains calm." Bobbie said as Zander came back into the room. "Okay, don't worry, she'll remain calm." he replied as he sat down on the stool next to the bed. Zander took Emily's hand in his, his eyes met hers and he got lost in them. He always got lost in her eyes, the beautiful brown eyes that told him just how much she loved him, it was still there, the love was still there, he saw it.

"You really scared me, Em." he said as he could see her on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry, Zander ... I almost .." "Shhhh...it's not your fault, Em ... so don't go blaming yourself, okay?" he tried to keep her calm and tried to comfort her. "But .. we could of lost the baby .. and .. " "But we didn't lose the baby, he's fine. He just wanted to arrive a little early that's all ... but he's fine. He'll be born when it's time, and he'll be healthy. Don't you worry." he said as he caressed her hand with his and kissed the palm of her hand. "I'm so glad you're here with me, Zander. I don't know if could do this without you." she said as a stray tear fell from her eye. He wiped away the tear with his thumb, she felt a quiver go up and down her spine. "I love you Zander." she whispered as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. "I love you too." He replied as he watched her fall to sleep.

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He felt her hand entangled in his black hair as he rested his head on the side of her bed, he must of fell asleep sometime during the night. He looked up at her, she looked very well rested, so much better then she looked last night. "Morning." she said as he lifted his head and rubbed his face trying to wake himself up. "What time is it?" he asked once he got his bearings. "It's about 7, I guess." she replied as her hand caressed the side of his face. They had spent more time together in the past 12 hours then they had in the past few weeks, and she was beginning to feel a re-connection with him. They hadn't talked much since the divorce, and it was nice to have him by her side all night again.

The door made a creak as it opened a little and Monica peered in. "Morning." she said as she noticed both of them were awake. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to come in and check on you before I go on my rounds." Emily shifted her position and tried to push herself upwards so she'd be in a sitting position. She caressed her belly, as she felt Zander's hand there as well. A look of content came over Monica's face as she noticed it there too and she smiled. She looked at Emily's chart and noticed her pressure was still a little high, higher then what it should be at this point in her pregnancy. "We're gonna keep you here till your pressure goes down, cause we don't want another episode like last night. You need plenty of rest." Zander and Emily looked at each other and agreed if that is what is best for the baby, then she'd stay. "Okay, if you think it's best." Emily said as her hand covered Zander's. "Good, I'll be back later after rounds." Monica smiled at them once more before leaving them alone in the room.

"I'm glad you're here." Emily said as their fingers intertwined still laying gently on her belly. "I'm glad too." 


End file.
